1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed generally toward storage system enclosures and customer replaceable units.
2. Description of the Related Art
Controller modules and drive trays are modular computer components that are usually connected together in a customer-specified configuration to produce storage systems. Controller modules function as the interface between a host system and the drive tray array. The drive trays often use enclosure service modules (ESMs) as the interconnection to the drives contained within a drive tray. The ESMs also perform diagnostic monitor functions for the drive array.
ESMs may take the form of customer replaceable units (CRUs), which are incorporated into subsystems in a storage system. This provides the customer freedom and direct control over the configuration and maintenance of subsystems. The CRUs contain insertion/extraction levers or latches that are used to install and remove CRUs from a storage system chassis.
Currently, the insertion/extraction levers and latches are mounted on the faceplate of CRUs and project forward from the front surface of the faceplate. Industrial designers and mechanical engineers must define features that hide this forward projection of the latch mechanisms. Imposing this type of restriction on industrial designers may interfere with their ability to achieve successful designs consistent with expressing the power and capabilities of the new subsystems.
Therefore, it would be desirable to alter the shape of the faceplate for controller support modules so that the packaging of these modules becomes more compact and the industrial designer has more freedom in development of expressive designs.
The present invention provides a sealing mechanism for a customer replaceable unit (CRU) within a computer system. The sealing mechanism comprises a faceplate for the CRU, wherein insertion and extraction latches are recessed into a trench within that faceplate. The backside of the faceplate has a protruding rim around the perimeter. The rim engages a groove in the subsystem enclosure, which surrounds the aperture that the CRU engages. Since the faceplate incorporates a perimeter ridge and a trench structure, the interacting groove follows the contour of the trench. Thus the rim and groove both trace the faceplate trench around the faceplate. The groove in the subsystem enclosure has an entrenched section at both ends of the receptacle perimeter that accommodate sections of the faceplate rim that trace the trench in the faceplate. A compliant seal material seated is in the groove of the chassis-mating surface, wherein the seal material follows the contours of the chassis-mating surface and ensures electrical contact between the chassis-mating surface and protruding faceplate rim.